Florescence
by The DarkCat
Summary: Student disappearances shook Yukari's high school and prompted the girl to search for quietude. In this search she met a person, who altered her life for better and for worse... [Shoujo-ai.]


"So there was another disappearance?"

"Uhm. It seems the curse targeted a senior this time."

"How... How horrible..."

"Ah. Just imagining, what shock that must've been to the victim's parents."

Rumours... Their roots slithered through out every hallway and classroom. It was impossible to stay oblivious for long. Emotions began to spill out, accompanying the vomited phrases. The Watanabe high school drowned in this for a couple of days now and the end wasn't clear in the horizon either.

That was, how Yuzuki Yukari saw it at least. The violet-haired girl was in her second year of high school. And even though she hadn't particularly met the victim - Yan He, she knew about the poor girl way more than any anonymous person should. Yukari felt guilty. Why had those seniors discussed the unfortunate events right in front of her? Why were 3-4 and 2-1 classrooms right next to each other anyway? Why did the girl, herself preferred to listen to them, day in and day out?

With her bottom lip pinched, the violette escaped the corridors, heading toward the school's inner park, the weather seemed perfect for that occasion too. The green area was encircled by the school's buildings and was completely fenced in by them. There was nothing spectacular inside the so called park. A huge aspen flourished in the middle, surrounded by grass. A few carved out benches sat further away and a couple of sculptures accompanied them from the corners. Yukari spotted a pair of teenagers eating their lunches, on one of the wooden benches. Although the girl quickly turned her head away.

She settled against the tree's bark. Once the teenager was comfortable, she tilted her head upwards at the lightly shivering branches. She blew out a sigh, burying her palms inside the dark uniform's sleeves. That was one upside of wearing her sister's Akari's passed down garments.

While the girl was squinting her eyes at the gliding clouds, a pair of footsteps began to echo on the other side of the tree. They kept pausing, before tardily circling around the same spot, picking at Yukari's interest. Finally the girl leaned to the side of the aspen, planning to take a peek at the cause. Just as she did, a blonde head shot up in her direction. In so a thump manifested, followed by a grunt from Yukari. As the teenager rubbed her sore forehead, she took a closer look at the tall girl with flowing blonde hair, who was now glancing downwards. Just who was she? Yukari hadn't seen her before.

"Uh... I'm s-sorry." Yukari stammered out, offering a bow, while the other girl glanced up, holding a dumbfounded expression.

"It's alright. I should have watched out." She answered calmly, smiling at the other's curious gaze. "I lost my pendant here yesterday. I'm trying to find it, I apologise, if I disrupted you."

"Ahm. It's fine." Yukari blinked at her, unable to take her eyes away from the other's piercing blue pupils. After the conversation died down, the blonde girl stepped in front of the violette, continuing to examine the wide greenery. As Yukari watched, one part of her psyche desperately demanded, that she should aid the girl, while other part remained afraid. In the end, the violet-haired teenager sat in silence with her knees pulled to her chest.

"There it is!" A joyful voice echoed suddenly, as the anonymous girl picked up a red crystal pendant and swiftly tied the loose ends together. Once she was done, her eyes met Yukari's prolonged stare. "By the way, I'm IA. What's your name?"

"Yuzuki Yukari..." She whispered back.

"What a cute name... I really like this place, by the way. It's calming. What about you? Do you come here often?"

"Yeah. Sometimes." Yukari lowered her gaze. And IA hummed, while fidgeting with her re-found accessory. Yukari's face reddened even further, but she still managed to murmur. "Would you like to hang out?"

X X X

_Desperate..._ That was, how Yukari felt; when she sat in geography class a a month later. She was an idiot! The girl never imagined, that her current friendless background, would push her to befriend a total stranger... What was up with her these days?

The violette huffed out, circling, what seemed to be a black hole, in the corner of her notebook.

The old stench of burned wood still occupied the classroom. God, she despised that smell...

Luckily her thoughts were broken by the bell. And the classroom brimmed with a screeching noise for a short second, until everybody stood up, bowing and saying goodbye in a practiced unison. When the formalities ended, Yukari bolted out of the classroom, not glancing back. It was the last period, which meant, that she'll meet IA again. And Yukari's mind couldn't picture anything else, except the fun, she had this past month with her new friend.

When the violet-haired girl stepped out of the school, she saw, that IA was already waiting outside, offering a slight wave.

"Hi, Yuzuki-san. How was your day?" The blonde asked, when they started to walk on the pathway. Yukari knitted her brows in thought.

"Ahm... I don't know. Oh, wait. We had a really fun geography lecture today."

"Oh, really?"

"Mhm, we..."

And so Yukari had started to relay all the little wonders, that the day had gifted her. She rarely used to talk so much about herself, even with her previous friends. Perhaps all she needed was gentle push. Although with IA it was different, even though the blonde planted the seed for the conversation, she chose to be a patient listener instead.

Suddenly Yukari's smile widened as she saw the familiar caffe - and her favorite spot for a hot drink - just down the hill. She involuntarily clutched IA's hand and sprung forward, causing a sudden yelp from her friend.

The bell jingled, announcing their presence, and the strong aroma of coffee assaulted their senses, while they took a minute to regain their breaths, standing in the ivory colored coffee shop.

"A big latte and another big cup of black tea, please." Yukari announced to the bartender their usual order. IA giggled behind her.

"You forgot a slice of berry pie, unless you're not hungry, Yuzuki-san."

"O-oh. Yeah! That too, please!"

The two girls sat down at a wooden table at the corner in front of a huge window, whith an old fashioned wall clock sitting nearby. Their orders were soon placed in front of them and IA spotted, how Yukari's eyes began to spark at the image of her beloved pie, as if it was her long awaited prince in shining armor - what a glutton... Even though IA's mind was against disturbing the other's joy, the girl still asked, probing her elbows on the table and resting her chin in the awaiting arms.

"You know, you are so cute like that..."

"Ah, like what?"

"The way you are now. Your posture sparks joy."

"Thank's, I guess..." Yukari cocked an eyebrow, while pulling out a napkin out of it's holder. IA sometimes had an odd way of saying things, and the violet-haired girl had yet to come to terms with that. One part of her desired to know the reason behind those awkward sentences. Alas, as always Yukari stayed silent, leaning back in her chair and hiding her palms inside the sleeves of her uniform's jacket. Meanwhile IA stirred her tea for a moment, before breaking the quiet.

"Uhm, Yuzuki-san, do you know about the disappearance of a student from 3-4?"

Yukari's eyes widened and she gave a nod.

"Yeah. But I don't really want to talk about that right now. Believe me, IA-san, I heard enough rumors about the incident and about Yan He herself alread..."

"Another one..." IA bud in with a whisper. Yukari blinked, as she failed to register, what the other said.

"I, ah, didn't hear, what you said exactly..."

"There will be another disappearance, like the one, that happened a month ago."

A chill ran down Yukari's spine, while IA's cold eyes pierced into her. Yukari's fingers began to fidget and she swallowed a huge chunk of saliva.

"H-how do y-you know that?"

"The victim this time will be Sekka Yufu." IA ignored her question, tilting her head to the side.

"Wait you can't mean... She's my classmate!"

"do you think, your class is immune to the curse?"

"N-no I... But, I can't. I can't except that, I don't want that." The violet-haired girl shook her head. Sekka Yufu, she knew her... They exchanged words daily and helped each other when they needed to. Yukari wasn't exactly friends with the grey-haired girl, but losing a person, who she had contact with, would be horrible. Yukari pinched her bottom lip, feeling a mountain of stress enveloping her.

_'Take deep breaths. Take deep breaths. Take deep breaths. Take deep breaths...'_

"Yuzuki-san, are you okay?" IA reached her hand out to pat the other's shoulder and and as she did, Yukari shook her head, facing downwards.

"No... I'm not... Why... How do you know, that Sekka-san will?..."

"Because it's rather obvious, for me at least." The blonde's hand landed near her own mug, while her eyes trailed the swirls of the tea." You won't be able to understand. I wish you wouldn't actually... Remember one thing, Yuzuki-san, don't overlook the possibility of you being the follow up."

Yukari stared wide eyed at the female before her. It was as if time itself decided to stop, leaving her to deal with the shocking words, buzzing in her mind. IA began to twirl the braid on her side, while carefully eyeing her frozen friend.

"Yuzuki-san?"

"W-why wo-uld y-you say that?"

"Because..." IA cut off with a saddened face, unable to look straight into her friend's eyes.

After that the only sound, that remained, was the monotonous ticking of the wall clock, it erased the seconds one by one. After a couple of those dreadful moments the violette stood up from her seat.

"I think I should go..."

X X X

It happened exactly like IA predicted. A few days later on the eleventh of May, Sekka Yufu disappeared...

And now 2-1 class was stuck in a constant depressed state of mourning. It was evident in the students' saddened faces or joyful masks. To make matters worse, the stench of burned ashes circled around Yukari's nose every time, she entered the classroom. She now sat, clenching her fists at her table, while her mind was punctured by overflowing gossip and IA's words. Eventually, when she saw Gumi idly passing by, she snapped.

"Damn it, what's with the smell?!"

Gumi shook for a short instance, being caught off guard. The sudden outburst caused a lot of questioning eyes to land on Yukari. And soon enough Gumi cleared her throat mockingly, before swiftly dashing away. The violet-haired girl stared ahead, as Gumi disappeared out of the classroom and a round of giggling evoke from the corridor. Yukari lowered her head in shame... _Right,_ she shouldn't hope for forgiveness out of her classmates...

X X X

The moon was already shinning brightly in the sky, when Yukari crossed out the opening lines of her letter. She pushed the piece of paper into a small pile of failed potential letters, before starting anew.

_'Dear, IA,_

_Firstly, I'm really sorry for the argument we had the other day. I miss you terribly. I always find my mind coming back to you. I miss your cheerful voice, your echoing laughter, your warm, soft hands. I'd wish to hold them for another moment, or at least to be somewhere near you. I miss you, I feel lonely. Please forgive me..._

_Could we meet tomorrow at lunch inside the school's inner park? I'd wish to apologise to you._

_Love,_  
_Yuzuki Yukari.'_

The violet-haired girl stared at the letter, before scoffing, and throwing it in the bin. It seemed too forceful... She leaned back in her chair, hearing a creak in response. Yes, those sentences _were_ forceful, but Yukari couldn't find any other words to express the pain and the longing she felt, IA's presence meant a lot to her. The girl didn't had any other friends right now and ever since that accident...

Suddenly Yukari sprung to her feet, staring bloodshot at the open window opposite from her. The curtain's slight ruffling was the only movement.

"There's nothing, Yukari, calm down... " She sighed, plopping down on her chair, and taking her head in her hands. "Take deep breaths, take deep breaths, take deep breaths..."

In truth, what did Yukari knew about IA anyway? How old was the blonde girl? Was she even from this school? What was her favorite food, or subject, music? What were IA's hobbies? Perhaps, please, that not be the case, she already had a boyfriend? None of these questions were answered, nothing was answered. IA was a blank page in Yukari's eyes. How come she had let that slip? Had IA's affection blinded Yukari's rational mind? It seemed like it...

A tear rolled down Yukari's chin along with a choked sigh.

"I-I miss you nonetheless, IA-san..."

Suddenly a stench of carbon monoxide reached her receptors again, causing the girl to look up in fright. There was a slight gap between the door and the floor, that particular cavity was expelling smoke.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it!"

The stench got too overwhelming, it hugged the whole room, like a caring mother, burying it in a grey swirling sea. She quickly shut her mouth, hunching into a little ball beneath her desk.

Inside the smoke, Yukari began to see her classroom. There stood her own body all alone in front of a worn out table. Even though Sekka Yufu tried to cheer her up that day, Yukari dismissed her, staying behind after school to clean her desk, which was stained with acrylic paint and adorned with trash. On top of that disrespectful inscriptions were carved deep into her desk. They mocked her from afar, acting like everyday reminders of the insults she endured. It also reminded of her classmates' hatred, that was shoved her way. She was sick of staring at this desk, which was brimming with horrid thoughts and memories, she was sick of this classroom, sick of her classmates, sick of the whole school...

Yukari clenched her fists, before taking out a plastic bottle from her backpack, it was a good thing, she had planned this before hand... It was filled with gasoline, and she poured the reeking liquid all over her desk and chair. The lighter was soon sparked into life and the teenager carefully swayed it's dancing flame to lick at the wood. It seemed, that was all it took, because a small hungry fire erupted.

Yukari released a sigh, filled in relief as the flame spread wider. Calmness washed over her, the fire illuminated her shadow, brought her warmth. Funny, how the violette felt mesmerized. It was the same hypnotizing emotion, that Yukari experienced, when she used to sit near a campfire with her sister Akari.

The girl spread her hands to the sides, holding a wide grin - this was a notion of freedom.

Unfortunately the fire alarm swiftly caught on, and the girl had to flee from the school. The burned desk in class 2-1 remained a mystery to everyone else...

X X X

_Anxious_...

Another day arose, and Yukari was trekking through the vast hallways, which were overtaken by the morning sun. Her footsteps were quick, her teeth kept the lower lip locked in place. Whenever her eyes would unconsciously spot an open classroom, the burning school desk would arise with lines of smoke. Yukari's hands were buried deep inside her sleeves, yet they trembled without a pause.

The damned fetor followed her around like a reaper, sometimes it came along with the intoxicating fog.

Yukari was at the edge of yelling out, if only this entity of memories would leave her alone. She would have gladly ran into a random classroom with the burning desk and kick at the damn apparition... The teenager would have done those things, if she would have been sure, those images were actually false. She couldn't tell them apart anymore...

As the violet-haired girl kept maundering, she noted, that she was probably alone in the whole school. In fact it was rather early, but the pupils should start gathering soon, right? Yukari gulped down her rising fear.

And suddenly to her greatest fortune, she spotted IA further away. The blonde teenager was glancing through the window. Yukari's heart leaped from joy and she ran to the familiar girl.

"Yuzuki-san?" IA blinked in confusion, once she turned around. "How come you're this early?"

Instead of answering Yukari threw her hands around the blonde female, embracing her.

"I-I missed you, IA..." She mumbled. "I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what I said to you before, I'm sorry for doubting you..."

"There, there."

"IA..."

The blonde girl patted the other's back, before Yukari herself pried her hands apart, revealing her tears and puffy face. IA smiled at her, before searching for a handkerchief inside her pocket. In the meantime Yukari gazed outside with peeled eyes. She could see the school's inner garden, alas the huge aspen had shed it's leaves. The tree's bark also looked darker and sickly, several roots had sprawled out of the earth. It did not resemble the bright, beautiful tree anymore.

"Wha-what happened to it?" Yukari whispered.

"It's dying... It needs humus..."

Yukari whirled her head at IA, who suddenly placed her palms onto Yukari's shoulders. The violet-haired girl's cheeks reddened. She swallowed dryly.

"Uhm, IA?"

"Yuzuki-san, you should know, that I love you... Soon you won't have to suffer. I'll take care of you inner demons, they won't haunt you anymore..."

The violet-haaired girl gaped. While IA edged closer to her. She landed a small chaste kiss on the violette's lips. When IA receded, Yukari's limp body fell to the ground.

X X X

Miki gazed into her obento box in thought. It was rather chilly to eat out. But the huge aspen tree in the Watanabe's high-school's inner park brought some kind solace to the first year student. Besides the area flourished, even if Winter was on it's way.

Suddenly the girl heard shuffling on the other side of the tree. And soon enough a beautiful blonde-haired girl peeked her head out. Miki felt a blush grace her cheeks. Soon the mysterious female spoke.

"I'm sorry to disturb you. I lost a pendant around this tree."

While a conversation arose between the two girls, a pile of dirt was left on the other side of the tree... A tuft of violet hair poked out near the little mount...


End file.
